Elicitation
by Eadon
Summary: On the run, constantly being pursued by former allies, and still seeking a lead for the true killer of the Elder he abandoned, Yasuo unexpectedly manages to catch the Triumvirate's attention. Now he has the Fist of Shadow to add to his growing list of people that want him dead.
1. Chapter 1

Elicitation

By: Eadon

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Riot; I just play with their characters.

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It was a bright and cloudless night, the light from the full moon and stars lit what felt like the entire forest. Akali was able to observe every bush, low branch, and above-ground root, anything that could obstruct her path. Not that she needed the light to guide her. Despite the lush vegetation of the forest around her, she's traveled this area so many times she could tell someone snapped off a low branch from the tree that one of the Monastery's students was fond of carving onto.

A light breeze wafted toward the assassin, the wind was too weak to fully lift her hair, but it was enough to manipulate the strands into tickling the skin on her exposed back. She irritably wiped at the sheen of sweat on her forehead before she dug for her water canteen and took a long pull from it.

Ionia's weather was typically hot and humid; their evenings offered no mercy either.

Akali continued her journey back to the Kinkou Monastery, her home.

Once she was on Monastery grounds, Akali took a moment to welcome the sight of her home. The Monastery was really a complex of buildings. Each one identical in appearance, grey walls, the roof tiles red and yellow, and numerous high small windows side by side, though some buildings were different in terms of size. Behind the Monastery was a tall, green mountain.

The moon was beginning to set and the dark skies lightened ever so slightly, dawn would come soon. She would have enough time to bathe before Shen and Kennen would be up, her travels left her clothes damp with sweat and passing through the forests foliage left her skin irritated and itchy.

Another breeze brushed across Akali's face, bringing the scent of water with it which reminded her of the small river that was located to the east side of the Monastery. The thought of water made her muscles ache in longing.

Her trained eyes quickly caught movement around her and by instinct she kept to the shadows. The movement revealed two patrolling guards, they would recognize Akali immediately and not become alert, but she preferred to arrive back home unannounced. It was something she always did when she returned from doing her duty.

She had yet to be spotted by the guards, something she wasn't sure was a bad or good thing. If Akali was able to avoid detection, then surely Zed or his men would be able to do the same. She made a mental note to talk to Shen about improving their security. A monastery with a small security force was an odd thought, but a necessary one. Shen did not want to risk a repeat of his father's temple when it was invaded by the Order of Shadow.

The only people that were up and about the Monastery were the guards. They all silently bowed their heads to her in greeting as she made her way to the women's dormitory. The interior of the building was a maze of long hallways, wooden floors, and the doors consisted of translucent paper over frames of wood. Thankfully the bright moonlight cascaded through the windows and lit the hallways. Again, not that Akali would need the lights assistance, there had been plenty of times when the nights were dark and she knew how to get to her room by memorizing the number of steps and turns.

Her room was small with enough space to fit a flat mattress, small desk and dresser. Half the room was caste in darkness; the other half was bathed in the moonlight that squeezed into the single window. Before Akali could rid herself of her light travel gear, her dark eyes focused on a piece of paper on the small table where she kept a water basin. Even the bright natural light made it difficult to read the notes contents, but she forced her eyes to focus on the letters.

Her weary face managed a small smile as she finished reading. It was a note from Shen. She had until noon to report to the rest of the triumvirate. Normally she met with Shen and Kennen in the early morning after her missions, but if he was giving her more time then that meant she could get some rest.

Akali couldn't rid herself of her gear fast enough. Once she was free of her burdens, she silently snuck out of her room and towards the baths. Thankfully, the tubs were already filled with water, all Akali had to do was ignite the wood-burning stove built beneath it to heat the water.

As the water heated Akali stepped towards the washing area. Numerous buckets of water had been left on the floor for bathing purposes. After she peeled the sweat soaked clothes from her skin, she dumped water over herself before she scrubbed her hair and body clean. A final rinse of water over herself left her feeling not only clean, but refreshed enough to drag herself to the now steaming bath.

She turned off the oven before she eased herself into the water, a hiss escaped her lips, the water was a little too hot than what she preferred. As she stretched her legs out across the square shaped wooden tub, her hiss changed into a soft groan as she felt her tense muscles relax. Akali normally took her baths with some herbs and oil, but she was too tired to fetch them.

When the water was cool and the skin on her fingers was terribly wrinkled, Akali retreated from the bath, wrapped herself in a towel, and quickly washed her clothes in the now cold bath water. The water was too dirty to be left for the next person so she dumped it into the drain before she returned to her room. Feeling so tired, Akali couldn't remember if she hung her clothes to dry or not, she just sighed as she lied on her mattress and slept.

Akali usually awoke before dawn and would be outside meditating or exercising just as the rising sun colored the skies orange. But on mornings like this, when she returned from her duty, she slept until the sun rays tickled her face with its heat.

The bath and few hours of sleep did wonders for her travel worn muscles, but she still felt sore as she climbed to her feet. Judging by the angle of the sun rays that seeped through the window she estimated to have enough time to eat before having to meet with Shen and Kennen.

As much as she wanted to relax for the day, her mother's discipline echoed within her mind and chased away any thoughts of recuperation. So, instead of dressing casually she opted for her sparring clothes. She overlapped the lapels of her forest green jacket and tucked them into her matching colored trousers before she fastened the ties around her ankles, knees and waist. It took her longer to thoroughly brush her hair free of knots before she tied it into the usual high ponytail.

Even in the late morning the dormitory was bustling with activity. Kinkou members, students and guards passed to and from the halls. Akali headed straight for the small building between the women's and men's dormitories, the mess hall. The place was heavily populated as well; it was quite small for all of the people it aimed to feed. Thankfully, most people ate their meals swiftly which allowed Akali to find an isolated place to eat in private. She all but inhaled her hefty meal of white rice, soybeans, vegetable soup, and fried eggs. After a week long journey her taste buds were grateful for food that wasn't dried or salted. She didn't have time to enjoy a cup of tea after her meal, but she and the other members of the triumvirate usually shared a pot of jasmine tea during their meetings.

To get to the meeting room, Akali had to pass through a garden, two training arenas, and their armory. The building that housed their meetings served two purposes, the first two floors held rooms that were mostly used for teaching or sparring, while the top floor was used solely for meetings, sometimes even meditation, although the gardens were a better choice for the latter.

The guards bowed their heads once as she passed them and into the triumvirates meeting room on the top floor. The room itself was spacious, but empty. The floors were wooden but rice straw mats covered every inch. Waist high lamps stood at every corner, and six windows littered one wall. A short-legged, circular table sat in the center of the room with three sitting cushions around it. However, two of the cushions were in use by the other triumvirate's members already, save one.

The guards closed the door behind her; the soft thud of the screen sliding shut announced her presence to the two men. Both of them were clad in their training clothes, similar to Akali's but their trousers were baggier. Shen's garments were midnight blue and Kennen wore his usual purple.

Shen was the first one to speak. He tilted his head downward slightly as he greeted her. "Good afternoon, Akali." As usual, his face was devoid of any emotion.

Kennen, a brown haired yordle, offered a large smile to her. He beckoned her towards the available cushion and then poured tea into the only empty cup. Before Akali sat down she could already smell the sweet aroma of the drink. She guessed correctly, it was jasmine tea today, not that she was complaining, she loved it.

"How was your mission?" The small yordle asked.

Akali took a moment to take a sip of her tea before answering. The early afternoon heat already settled into her throat, and climbing the stairs added to her thirst. "My duty was completed with minimal trouble."

She didn't go into further detail out of courtesy to Kennen. Despite his duty of conveying the justice of the Kinkou, he was a strong believer of redemption. While he respected Shen's decisions when he judged individuals that were a threat to the equilibrium of Valoran, which was Akali's duty to eliminate said individuals, hearing the details of their demise made him visibly uncomfortable. If her missions were flawless, she saw no need to report anything other than the outcome.

Shen's eyes studied her, though there was nothing perverse about his gaze. Akali knew he was simply checking her for any injuries. If she had been injured, her clothes would have easily covered any bandages. But that wasn't what Shen looked for; he studied her movements for any hints of weakness. She took that moment to take another sip of her steaming tea; she was uninjured and had nothing to hide.

"While you were gone, we received some news." Shen announced. His eyes moved to his still full cup. He lifted the porcelain to his lips.

Akali waited for him to continue. As vague as his announcement was she felt eager for more information. Most news usually led to another mission for her. She may have been glad to return home, grateful for a mattress to sleep on, warm food and relaxing baths, but a part of her relished in her duty. The adrenaline that coursed through her veins as she hunted her target was exquisite. Her favorite was when the targets anticipated her move and they fought to the death, although she had yet to hunt down someone that was a worthy opponent and didn't die so quickly.

"Do you remember the swordsman student that slayed an Elder?" Shen asked.

"With a wind technique?" Her response was a single nod. "Yes, I remember."

Shen continued, "we've received news of his whereabouts. As it happens when he is located, he leaves a trail of death."

Akali occupied herself from speaking by taking another sip of tea. Kennen always prepared it perfectly; it was never too bitter nor weak. Since news of that particular incident surfaced she believed the murderer was an upset to the balance the triumvirate worked to preserve. She hoped this bit of news would result in Shen's judgement of the murderer's fate.

Kennen spoke next. "Where has he been found? It's been several years since we've heard of him."

"Witnesses reported seeing him near the southern part of Ionia."

Akali frowned and placed her cup onto the table. "That part of the island is barren. Everything was either destroyed or taken by Noxus when they fled."

Shen nodded. "It is possible he may be meeting Noxians that may still linger there. Or he seeks refuge in the deserted region of Ionia."

"You think he is allied with Noxus," the yordle quipped.

"Why else would he murder an Elder?" Akali asked. "It seems quite convenient that he would murder an Elder after Noxus invaded."

Kennen rubbed a small, furry hand on his equally as furry chin. "Whether he is allied with Noxus or not, it is still troubling that a young man is not only a skilled swordsman, but has the wind at his side. We have not seen another master of that technique in years."

"The last master was when my father was a child." Shen added.

The smaller male sighed. "Add that the young swordsman has murdered an Elder and numerous other people, including his own brother."

Akali frowned at that. "I hadn't heard of that."

Kennen nodded sadly, his ears drooped down again. "It happened when you left."

_We do that which must be done._

Her mother's words rung in her mind as she digested the information. Akali had to thread carefully. It wasn't her duty to judge individuals, that was Shen's, so she didn't want to make what she had to say next sound like she was overstepping her boundaries. "So we have a rare, powerful warrior on the loose who has murdered an Elder, his brother, and numerous other people. And he may or may not be working for Noxus." She paused and looked at Shen. He met her gaze, his face still blank of any emotion. Not even his eyes displayed what he was thinking. "Do you believe he is a threat to the balance?"

Shen broke eye contact with her, but he kept his gaze straight ahead of him, not looking at either Kennen or Akali. He was silent and he didn't as much as move a finger.

Kennen drained his cup silently and then refilled it. He glanced at Akali's nearly empty cup and filled hers as well. "This young man, Yasuo I believe is his name, is seen as a threat to the other Elders. Whenever he is recognized, battles and deaths occur. We do not know if he instigates the fights or if he is merely acting in self-defense."

"Self-defense or not," Akali interjected after a sip of fresh tea, "that doesn't account for an Elder's death by his wind technique. No one else in Ionia has mastered it but him."

Kennen rubbed at his chin again. It was a habit of his as he spoke of his thoughts. "The time of the Elders death was when Noxus had invaded, correct? What if the Noxians have wind masters of their own? As slim of a chance it may be what if a Noxian murdered the Elder?"

"You forget, Kennen, Noxian soldiers didn't fight. They hid behind their machines. If a Noxian did kill the Elder, he wouldn't have died to a wind technique, whether Noxus has people gifted in that skill or not."

Kennen was silent as he pondered Akali's words. After a moment his hand dropped from his chin and he nodded, signifying his acceptance of her argument. They both turned their attention to their third member. Shen was still silent, unmoving, and his eyes stayed fixated on the wall opposite of him. Akali and Kennen knew not to disturb him from his thoughts after they both gave their opinions of these matters.

A moment of silence passed and Shen finally blinked. He exchanged glances with them both before he finally spoke. "This man, Yasuo, is a threat to the balance of Valoran."

Akali fought against the smile that strained to grow.

That was all he had to say. When Shen pointed to a "target," Akali was the one that exterminated it.

"I'll leave immediately," she replied. "Where was he located exactly?"

Shen looked at her again and shook his head. "You just returned last night. Take a day or two to rest, gather your strength, and then you can pursue him."

Akali shook her head; her eyebrows grew closer as she frowned. "This is our first lead on his location in years. If I spend a few days here he will have that much time to disappear again. We shouldn't let him escape."

Shen lifted his chin slightly and kept her gaze. Even though neither position of the triumvirate had authority over the other, he was still the leader of the Kinkou Order. When he issued an order people obeyed it.

"Please understand, Akali." His deep voice was just like his face, void of any emotion. It wasn't filled with the anger or annoyance she expected and it wasn't cold or uncaring. "Yasuo shouldn't be underestimated."

Akali suppressed her desire to sigh. She understood the importance of not underestimating an enemy, her mother drilled that into her since she was a child, but she didn't like the idea of giving her target time to put distance between them. If she were injured she would probably heed Shen's advice, but she was unscathed, maybe just a little sore if anything. A little travel soreness wouldn't hinder her, she trained most of her life while sore and it never affected her success.

"I understand that, Shen. But I am in perfect health to set out. I wouldn't risk the success of my duty otherwise."

It was difficult to tell if he accepted her words. He continued to look at her with his stone faced expression. As she waited, she allowed her gaze to wander and look at the entirety of Shen's face. He kept his black hair cut short against his scalp and his strong, square jaw was clean shaven. She was always aware Shen was handsome and she imagined his smile could probably make any woman's knees weak. However, for the short amount of years she's known him she's never seen him smile. He was always in his Eye of the Twilight mode, his expressions impossible to deduce.

Akali felt grateful for her own duty. She was entrusted with Pruning the Tree; she eliminated those that were a threat to Valoran's equilibrium. Her duty was easy compared to Shen's. He always had to keep his judgements free of any emotion and bias. She couldn't do that. Her eyes caught movement of Shen's jaw muscles and she quickly retreated from her thoughts.

"Very well." Shen replied. He reached for his tea, no doubt it was probably cold by now but he took a few sips from it anyway. "I trust your confidence."

A small smile came to Akali's face and she bowed her head. She reached for her cup and drained it before she turned her gaze to Kennen. "So then where can I find my target?"

After the yordle gave her all the information she would need, and when Shen and Kennen had nothing else to discuss, Akali bid them farewell before she retreated to her room. Thankfully she hadn't unpacked her traveling gear, she only had to pack new clothes, fetch more traveling rations and refill her water canteens. She changed out of her sparring clothes and into her trademark green assassin attire.

With her bag on her back and her kamas in hand, Akali once again left the Kinkou Monastery and began her long trek towards the southern region of Iona. For the first few hours of her journey she contemplated if a swordsman with a rare technique would be enough to give her a challenge in battle. Her pace quickened as a small smile grew on her face, she was eager to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Elicitation

By: Eadon

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Riot; I just play with their characters.

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It was ironic that the only available work to Yasuo was a guard job. It was a guard job that got him into his situation, on the run from his former teachers and schoolmates. It wasn't a bodyguard job at least; he was nothing more but a chaperone for the many customers that went to the village's local drinking house. He was to make sure the men didn't bother the server girls and no brawls started within the building. It wasn't the best paying work, but he was allowed to help himself to whatever food was left uneaten once the place closed for the night.

Thinking about food was a mistake. A serving girl holding a tray of food passed Yasuo and he felt his stomach growl and his mouth watered. He could smell fish, steamed vegetables, bread and butter, sake and beer. He glanced about the rapidly filling room and noticed many of the men and few women ate everything on their plates and bowls. What if there was no food to be left for him? His stomach cramped at the thought.

Years ago, Yasuo was a student in one of Iona's most renowned school for swordsmen. He was also one of the best students and entrusted with protecting an Elders life from the invading Noxians. Yasuo still dreamed of that night, hearing the noises of slaughter, his friends and peers screaming as they were torn down by moving metal things all while he was safely holed up in a room. He knew his blade would help tip the odds into his school's favor, so he abandoned the Elder he swore to protect and dived into the battle.

The fight was long and bloody. Not even machines were safe from the wind. But when the Noxians retreated, and Yasuo returned to the Elder, he found him dead. While he was ready to face his punishment for failing his duty, he was shocked to learn that he himself was blamed for the Elder's murder.

So he ran.

He didn't run for himself, however, he ran because he couldn't stomach the thought that the Elder's true murder would remain free, there would be no justice for the Elder. Ever since then he was pursued by his former allies, mercenaries, and bounty hunters. It wasn't safe for him to stay in one place too long. And due to his frequent travel his diet mostly consisted of dry, cold travel rations.

The swordsman tore his eyes away from the many plates of food and focused on the room itself. The building was fairly small; it was big enough to comfortably fit about thirty people. Wooden tables and chairs lined three walls, a long counter stood on the fourth wall and behind it was a door that led to the kitchen. In the center of the room sat a fire pit.

The man that hired Yasuo mentioned the place filled up in the early evening, when most people retired from work for the day. The swordsman could see he was correct. Even though the door was kept closed to keep the cold and rain out, it may as well be open with how often people opened it to step inside.

A group of five men stepped inside and took an empty table by the fire pit. Water dripped from their hair and their shirts were damp. Judging by the dirt that stained their white tunics brown Yasuo guessed them to be farmers. As they settled in the warmth and gave their order to a server girl, Yasuo looked them over for any weapons. None of them were armed so he didn't have to keep too much of an eye on them, unless they were to have too much to drink.

The door opened again and another group of men and women poured inside, a cold wind at their feet snuck into the room before the door shut. Yasuo arched his back slightly when the cold tickled his spine with its cold fingers. Soon the warmth of the fire chased the chilly fingers from his back. Yasuo was grateful this job kept him indoors; he would hate to have to be soaking in the cold rain. Water was bad for his sword.

In the corner of his eye he noticed a man grab a passing server girls arm and haul her towards his lap. The girl squealed and tried to pull out of his grasp, but he kept a firm hold on her. Yasuo frowned, grabbed the sheath of his sword with his left hand, and approached the offending man. The server looked to him with large, frightened eyes. For a moment Yasuo was back at his school, in that room with the Elder. Instead of the girl looking at him with large, scared eyes, it was the Elder when he told him he was joining the battle.

Yasuo blinked hard and the memory faded to reveal the drunken man and the server girl. "Hands off the girl." Yasuo told the man calmly.

While the drinking house naturally had the faint smell of alcohol, the man before him reeked of beer. Yasuo personally hated the smell of the drink, he preferred sake. Obviously the man had too much to drink, and not only did it give him courage to harass a server but it also gave him the courage to spit at an armed man. "Back off!" Yasuo fought the urge to take a step to the side, out of range of his foul breath. "I'm jus' tryin' to have some fun here. No harm, right?"

Yasuo felt his body warm with anger and his patience snapped. "I will warn you one last time, let go of her."

The drunken man ignored him and leaned his face towards the girl's hair. She looked to him again, her eyes wide with fear. Yasuo pulled his blade free and held it at the man's neck. The alcohol seemed to evaporate from his system and finally fear registered in his eyes. He promptly let go of the girl and held his arms up. Yasuo motioned his head towards the door. "Get out of here."

For a brief moment, anger flashed in the man's eyes as he got up and left. Some of the people grew quiet as they watched the small scene unfold, but when no brawl ensued they returned to their drinks and food. Yasuo returned to his spot in a secluded corner and continued to watch everyone.

Eventually he eavesdropped on as many conversations as he could. One good thing about alcohol was that it made people talk. He frequently visited drinking houses in every village and city he passed through, he always hoped to hear anything about the person he sought after. The reason why Yasuo was blamed for the Elder's murder was because he was killed with a wind technique. And Yasuo was the only one in Ionia that mastered said technique; there hasn't been anyone else that could use the wind like he could in many years. Except now, whoever killed the Elder was just like him. It was his one clue to finding the murderer, but no one in this drinking house had any news of the wind.

The rest of the night passed with no more incidents. The serving girl he helped always smiled at him each time she passed. For a moment, he forgot about his problems and just enjoyed the warmth and the smile of a pretty woman.

The door opened and another chill came in along with a group of three men. As they got to a table near where Yasuo stood, the first thing that caught his eye was the weapons strapped to their belts. One had two swords, the second a short sword, and the final one had two daggers. They didn't look to be off duty guards either. Unlike everyone else, they sported soaked cloaks and their boots, forearms and shoulders were guarded with steel. Something was different about these men and it made Yasuo's stomach knot in worry.

_Travelers_.

This village was small and didn't offer anything to attract travelers. There were no other villages or cities nearby either; to the south was nothing but abandoned ruins that took the worst of the Noxian invasion. The people in this village often asked Yasuo what attracted him here, as they rarely got travelers over the years.

A serving girl approached them and soon left after taking their orders. Two of the men kept their eyes on her as she headed to the kitchen. The girl had to pass him, and then the men's eyes drifted to where he stood. Yasuo felt his breath stop as he locked eyes with them. His heart dropped when he recognized the scar on one man's face. The scar was long and stretched from the corner of his mouth to above his ear; his hair didn't grow within an inch of the healed tissue. Yasuo recognized the scar because he was the one that gave it to him.

Yasuo couldn't remember the name of the scarred man. They were never introduced, never shared a class, but they sparred once. It was when he was still learning how to use the wind, and he grew impatient when they fought. The man specialized in dual swords, and no matter how much Yasuo tried he couldn't break through his guard. Frustrated with their stalemate, he used the wind, but he ended up hurting him beyond what was allowed in spars.

The other men that were with him were unrecognizable. Worse, he read the recognition in his former schoolmate's eyes. He turned and said something Yasuo couldn't hear to the three men with him. Instantly all their eyes turned to him.

Yasuo clenched his jaw and one hand reached for the sheath at his belt, his thumb pushed the hilt of his sword ever so slightly. He didn't want to fight them, but his hand moved by instinct. Plus, it was his _job_ to break up fights, he couldn't start one.

Before he could say anything, the scarred man jumped to his feet and drew his swords. Yasuo's hand moved on its own, by instinct and the will to survive, he drew his own sword just as fast as his former schoolmate.

The people that sat at the table between them gasped in surprise and quickly put distance between both swordsmen and themselves. The building that was once bustling with the sound of laughter, clanking of cups and bowls on tables, and scraping of chairs on the floors was now completely silent.

Yasuo expected a speech or a question regarding his lack of honor, instead, the dual bladed swordsman rushed him. With a simple fleck of his wrist, he met his attacker's blades with his own. The edges of his vision faintly noticed some of the surrounding people edging for the exit. There was other movement next to him that he almost dismissed as a fleeing innocent; it was one of the scarred man's companions. He swung a short sword towards Yasuo's ribs, but he pivoted away.

A third man attacked from the front, brandishing twin jagged daggers and swiped at his face. Yasuo ducked and slammed his shoulder into the man's abdomen. He heard a cry of anger beside him and turned in time to see three blades charging towards him. Yasuo swung at the man with the short blade to throw him off his charge before he threw himself at a table and rolled onto the other side of it. Steel met the edge of the table where Yasuo's head was moments before.

This was not how Yasuo wanted his night to go. He just wanted a relative warm meal to fill his belly, alcohol to warm his body, and a dry nights rest.

His thoughts were promptly interrupted by the man with daggers. He threw one of his small blades, but Yasuo easily ducked. The third man managed to get behind him and swung a chair at his back, the wood splintered and flew in every direction. The impact itself hurt and knocked the air out of Yasuo. He only had two seconds to lean on a table to force air back into his lungs before he had to roll away from another blade that sliced the thick table cleanly in half.

A hilt connected with his cheek and his vision blackened for a moment. That was all the time the dual swordsman needed. When his vision cleared he watched as two blades rushed for his chest. He blocked the blades and pushed the man back. He took a few steps backwards, his sword raised and ready for the next attack.

It was then that Yasuo noticed the entire room was empty, save for his three attackers. They all had their own weapons risen, hate radiating from their bodies hot like the fire in the center of the room. The open door was to Yasuo's back, and he could feel a breeze on his back. His mind cleared and he focused on the wind, he gripped his fingers tighter around the hilt of his sword.

"Murderer!" He heard one of the men shout, but he didn't know which said it. He was too focused on the wind and willing it to cooperate with his blade. He didn't want to kill these men, but he could read the fury and hatred in their eyes. It would be pointless to try to plead with them.

All three of them charged to attack. There was no way Yasuo could take them all at the same time without a little help. He swung his sword to meet their blades, but his blade was enforced with the wind. The bones in his hand vibrated from the impact of their swords crashing together, but the wind continued forward. It sliced through their fingers, forearms, and shoulders.

The man with the daggers was the unlucky one, the wind sliced through his neck. He bled to death within seconds, his wide and fear filled eyes stared at Yasuo. The sight would haunt his dreams that night. The two remaining men were still alive. By some will of strength, they climbed to their feet and held their swords, though Yasuo could see their hands shook from their wounds. They charged him.

As much as Yasuo wanted to spare them, he knew they would continue to hunt him. He still had to find the Elder's true murderer, and he had to be alive for that. Therefore, he couldn't risk leaving his stalkers alive.

It was easy to infuse his blade with another gust of wind. Before the two men could get closer to him he swung his blade at them. Another invisible wave struck at them and halted their steps. Yasuo reduced the distance between them and struck them with his blade.

Regret swelled in Yasuo's chest as he watched his two attackers fall to the floor, blood pooling around their chests. "I'm sorry," he said softly to their corpses. Their blood soaked his sword, but he sheathed it. He would have to clean it soon to protect the steel.

He looked about himself; the room was in complete disarray. Tables and chairs were toppled over; plates and bowls lied on the floor, some broken, and drops of blood were sprawled over one wall and several tables. Not to mention there were three dead men lying in puddles of their own blood.

A heavy sigh escaped Yasuo and he suddenly felt exhausted. His hunger was gone, for now, but his throat was parched. He was supposed to break up fights and throw out troublemakers. Being the cause of a fight, he doubted the owner would pay him. Or let him eat the leftovers.

Through the roar of the rain, Yasuo could hear voices outside. Guards were most likely waiting for him. He glanced back down to the men and felt his regret grow. It was only right he bury them, but he may have to abandon them to avoid the guards. He was aware of a backdoor that led to a cluster of trees. Hopefully the entire building wasn't surrounded.

No one charged in yet, so Yasuo took a moment to bow his head to the dead men. He couldn't give them the warrior funeral they deserved, but a silent moment was all he could spare. Before he opened the backdoor, he noticed a full cup on the one single table that wasn't smashed or knocked over. He couldn't let it go to waste so he grabbed the cup and drank the now cold sake that was in it. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to warm him for the cold night.

No guards waited for him in the back, thankfully. He glanced around to see if anyone would see him. When the coast was clear, he ran for the trees. It wasn't safe for him to remain in the village. And without pay from this job he didn't have the money to buy more supplies. He glanced back at the drinking house; before he left he could have searched the pockets of the three men.

Repulsed by the sudden idea, Yasuo shook his head to clear his thoughts. No, he couldn't do that. He wasn't that desperate. The five men and one woman that he killed didn't deserve their deaths. He couldn't rob them.

The trees offered him little protection from the heavy rain. He could hear men shouting from the drinking house, the guards probably arrived. They would be looking for him soon. As tired as he was, he pressed southward towards the part of Ionia Noxus hit the hardest. He hoped to find anything there that would lead him to the person responsible for the blood on his hands.

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	3. Chapter 3

Elicitation

By: Eadon

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Riot; I just play with their characters.

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The next six days had been difficult for the Fist of Shadow. Since Akali heard the news of more deaths by Yasuo's hand, she doubled her pace and distance. Rather than traveling under the sun and resting all night, she sacrificed a few hours of rest to cover more distance in the evenings. The brutal pace was tough on her muscles. Despite her exhaustion, sleep was slow to embrace her with her restless thoughts and fear of losing her target's trail.

Her risk was worth it.

Akali came across a small, beaten down hut in the outskirts of a village ruins. The hut was almost invisible with a mess of tree leaves and tall bushes covering it. She happened to notice it by sheer luck. Tired and wanting to escape the steady rainfall, Akali stepped into the hut for a well eared rest and meal. Inside, she noticed a half buried pile of charred wood in the huts small fireplace.

She touched the burnt wood. Weak heat kissed her fingertips. A weary smile grew on Akali's pale face. She had to be closing in on Yasuo. If the hut was used by an ordinary traveler there would have been signs of their use everywhere on the road and in the hut. Yet there were no signs of usage, minus the still warm charred remains of a fire pit.

That night Akali didn't press herself to cover more distance. She remained in the hut, ate a warm meal for the first time in a week, and slept soundly for most of the evening. Now that she caught up to Yasuo she allowed herself to slow her pace so she could recover her strength.

Two days passed and she knew she was approaching the village ruins. She wasn't able to see the ocean, but the wind carried a salty scent. By the evening she finally arrived in the deserted, destroyed village. Homes of all sizes and shapes were mostly toppled over. Dozens of lone walls with large gaping holes decorated the ground. A scant few buildings still had at least three walls but no roofs. Even fewer buildings had all four walls and a roof.

Despite the skeleton of the village, there wasn't a single shred of proof of Noxus' invasion. None of their machines were left behind. The gore of the slaughter had been erased by years of the lands elements.

Akali felt uncomfortable. There was a negative energy in the village. She could understand why no one tried to rebuild the place. Could this be why no one found Yasuo? Did he hide here?

A sudden gust of wind knocked her out of her thoughts. She suppressed a shiver and looked up into the sky. The moon was half hidden behind thick clouds and a faint rumble of thunder echoed. Tracking was nearly impossible in a moonless night. It would probably rain soon as well, a thought that made Akali curse. Heavy rain made it more difficult to track as well.

The village had been massive. Half of it was separated by a small river. She didn't want to risk leaving her bag with her supply of food at the mercy of a wandering critter. So she carefully stuffed her bag in between a small gap in the trunk of a tall tree and covered it with mud from the river. It wasn't the best hiding spot, but it would do while she searched for Yasuo.

Before she hid her bag she changed out of her traveling clothes and donned her infamous kinkou green attire.

Her nostrils flared as another breeze brushed by, this time it carried the scent of wood burning. As dark as it was Akali couldn't see any smoke nor could she see the glow of a fire either. It would explain why Yasuo was so difficult to find if he knew how to hide a fire well in a near moonless night.

Akali quietly moved from destroyed shell of a building to the next, seeking anything that would hide a glow of a fire from all directions. Despite the soft sound of the ocean waves slapping against sand, Akali was nervous her breathing would give her away. Every shadow of a tree branch dancing with the wind made her think that Yasuo found her and made the first move.

Then she found him.

It was almost too easy. He had been sitting on the ground facing a small mound of rocks, a flute in his hands and a slow, soft melody, almost sad sounding Akali thought, mingling in the quiet air. At least, she assumed it was Yasuo. Who else would be living in this place?

Akali only took a step forward and his flute stopped. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on his body, ready to react to any sudden movement. She expected him to speak, but he just sat there and eventually looked up into the black sky. The clouds even hid the bright glow of the stars.

Finally, he slowly stood and patted his legs before he turned to face Akali. He didn't react when he turned, almost as if he knew she was there. Without moonlight or any other source of light, all Akali could make out was a masculine silhouette. His head tilted to the side just slightly as he approached her.

Akali tensed and raised her weapons when the figure lifted an arm and pushed open a wooden door of a fully intact small house. Light escaped the doorway and showered the figure, chasing the shadows that clung to him.

He _was _Yasuo. He looked exactly as he was portrayed on the numerous posters Akali came across in every village. Long hair pulled back, dark blue baggy pants and a lighter blue colored shirt, sword sheathed at his waist. He hadn't moved, he simply stood and studied her. The small burst of light from the house was enough to lighten her features as well.

"I don't recall seeing you at the academy." His voice wasn't as she expected either. Most people she had to silence normally had either arrogance, intimidating, or even fearful tones etched into their voices Yasuo was unique, he spoke with a calm tone, almost grieving sounding.

Akali didn't respond. She tightened her grip on her kamas. While Yasuo's sword was sheathed on his waist, she knew not to think she had the advantage of having her weapons on hand first.

Akali remained silent, her eyes waiting for any movement from Yasuo or the surrounding area. She doubted he had accomplices waiting to ambush her, but she had to prepare for it.

She almost wanted to ask how he knew she was there, but she squashed the urge. It was rare for her targets to anticipate her arrival. Maybe she would experience a decent fight. She pulled a leg behind her and dipped her shoulder back like if she meant to throw her kama. She wanted to get him to draw his weapon and her sudden movement worked. In the blink of an eye, Yasuo abandoned his flute and had his sword gripped in both hands, the light from the house reflected off the blade.

Akali wanted Yasuo to make the first move, to judge and study his movement and technique, but he didn't budge. Almost letting out a sigh, Akali made the next move. She jumped into a sprint to his left flank. Judging how he held his sword he was left handed, which meant his left side would be vulnerable.

His reflexes were good. His blade caught the curve of her kama. There was no look of anger, hatred, or even fear on his face like she expected. Akali noticed the twitch of his shoulder and jumped away just in time to avoid his counter swing.

A small grin grew on the corner of her lips. Most targets would be dead at her feet already.

He tried to catch her while she recovered from her dodge with the tip of his sword heading right for her belly. She didn't have her feet placed properly to jump away again, so she settled for bending her body to the side to avoid the blade plunging into her gut.

Akali had the advantage this time. She trapped his blade with the curve of her kama and used the other to slice at his forearm. The scent of blood hit her. Yet, Yasuo didn't make a sound. He pulled away from her while he swung his blade. Akali almost ignored his gesture until she felt a violent change of the breeze. She lunged to the side to avoid the invisible weapon. Her elbow screamed in hot pain.

A grin reappeared on her face. They both managed to leave a mark on the other.

The thought of how fast the wind moved against her caused her grin to quickly fade. If she had been a second too late to move aside she would have had a far worse injury.

"Did my former peers hire you?"

Akali almost hesitated, she hadn't expected for him to talk. Talking was just a distraction, she ignored him and charged. Yasuo braced himself and lifted his blade, waiting for her strike. Akali aimed for his left and threw one of her kamas. The moment Yasuo moved to dodge the blade she reached into a pocket and tossed a smoke pellet at his feet. Her empty hand immediately dug into another pocket that held her throwing blades. With a practiced hand, she gripped the blade by its sharp edge and tossed it in the center of the smoke. No sound of pain rewarded her throw, she probably missed.

The smoke had its desired effect at least, eventually she heard Yasuo cough. It was a small window to take advantage of; Akali flanked around to the back of her target and swung her remaining kama across the small of his back.

His cry was more of shock than pain. As close as they were of each other, Akali could see his silhouette turn to face her, then she knew she was too late to dodge. She caught his blade with her kama, though her weapon and forearm vibrated from the force of his swing.

She saw it before she felt it. The fading smoke began to push towards her. Then the pain stunned her. It was as if his sword wasn't blocked and it met with her shoulder. Akali ignored the agonizing pain and lifted her knee to his abdomen. He anticipated her blow and moved aside. She still had hold of his blade so he couldn't get away, couldn't swing his blade nor use another wind technique, hopefully. Akali still had her knee in the air and twisted and extended her leg, this time her heel connected to his ribs.

Yasuo grunted and pulled away. Akali had to keep up with the blows to completely throw him off balance. She picked up her second kama from the ground and lunged at him again, one kama swung down towards his face. As she expected, he could only block it. The angle was impossible for his to get a full swing out to use another wind technique. She raked her other kama across the very same ribs she kicked.

She swung the now bloody kama upwards and held his sword between her weapons. Feeling triumphant, Akali was at an advantage. Swordsmen weren't known for their close quarter combat without their sword. She kneed the man in the stomach. When he doubled over she kicked at the back of his knee. He grunted when both his knees hit the ground. Akali would have ended the fight here, but she still kept his sword trapped within her kamas.

Rather than pulling his blade free, he pushed it forward, the tip of the blade hurling right for Akali's temple. She avoided the fatal blow, but still suffered a gash to her forehead. Blood immediately dribbled down her eyebrows and into her eyelids. It was a moment Yasuo needed to separate himself from her. After she wiped the blood aside, Akali just managed to catch his swing with a kama.

A scream escaped her lips when she felt the blade puncture through her other shoulder and lower right side. She hadn't the time to realize he swung his blade downward when she blocked it until it was too late.

The advantage of having two weapons meant she only needed one to block. She grimaced as the wound on her shoulder screamed as she pulled back her kama and swiped it on his forearms. He cried out and pulled away from her. Akali was prepared and watched him swing his sword towards her. While he was too far away for the physical blade to reach her, she knew his wind blade would hit its target.

Her legs felt slightly stiff as she dodged to the side. The stiffness of her muscles cost her another wound. White hot pain engulfed her thigh. She bit her lip to keep from crying out again.

_I need to end this now_, Akali thought. The adrenaline from the fight was what kept her on her feet, but her muscles had reached their peak. They were stiff and not fully recovered from her fast traveling pace.

Akali stuffed a kama into her belt and reached for another throwing knife and a smoke pellet. She threw the knife at Yasuo, who easily dodged it, but she threw the smoke pellet at her own feet. She used the smoke as cover to quickly sneak around a half destroyed house. By the time she ran all the way around, Yasuo was sending multiple wind blades into the smoke.

The wounded woman bit her lip again as she forced her arm to swing back and then forward as she threw her kama at her target. The weapon struck Yasuo on his shoulder. He didn't have the chance to figure out where it came from before Akali ran towards him, jumped and stuck her heel right into his face. She felt a satisfied crunch. While Yasuo was stunned from the kick, she swung her other kama across his chest.

Her eyes widened as Yasuo seemed unaffected by the blows and spun around her, his blade nicking at her already wounded side. Nausea swelled within her from the pain. She turned, holding up her kamas to block the strike she was expecting. Instead, Yasuo was at a distance and simply swung his blade horizontally.

Despite the small distance between them, Akali knew she wouldn't be able to dodge the wind blade. She dropped to the floor and hoped she could avoid it.

She did.

Yasuo was on her immediately, slashing at her from three angles, one strike per angle. Akali's arms weren't moving as fast as she commanded them to, she could only half block two of the strikes, but the blade still licked her skin, and the third strike sliced down her back.

The edges of her vision were getting dark, and an extreme dizzy spell hit her. Akali stumbled and fell to her knees and hands; she knew she was losing too much blood. If she wanted to live, her next move would have to end the fight. Though she wasn't sure she'd make it back to her supplies to treat her wounds.

_How did it come to this_, she thought.

It was the wind technique, she figured. She understood now why Shen judged Yasuo too dangerous to live. It was beyond words to describe how to avoid a strike from something that couldn't be seen. Her options were low, she couldn't fight from a distance, but Yasuo could with his wind blades. She would have to get close to him and end it quickly.

With all of the left over adrenaline and willpower she could muster, Akali rolled onto her back and kicked to her feet. Dizziness struck at her again, but she managed to avoid tripping while she ran up to her target. As she closed the gap between them, she could see Yasuo was on his last reserves as well; he had also fallen to his knees and was using his sword as leverage to climb to his feet. He noticed her approach almost too late. Akali jumped at him again, her foot connected to his chest.

The kick knocked him to his back, but he still had a grip on his blade and swung sloppily at her. She could have easily dodged it if her muscles weren't stiff and slow. The blade sunk into her left arm and she dropped her kama.

Her small delay was enough time for the swordsman to climb to his feet. Akali had to end it now. She pulled out her final smoke pellet and threw it down between them. It was a gamble to predict what Yasuo would do. She attacked him in the smoke in different angles, she could only hope he was protecting the wrong side and left her a window.

With only one kama Akali couldn't risk throwing it. She kneeled low and swung the kama in a complete circle around her. Mid swing she felt her weapon connect with something, heard Yasuo shout, and then felt him fall. She knew to immediately dodge to the side, out of the smoke, and was rewarded with predicting her target correctly. Yasuo swung a wind blade where she was standing moments before.

Her vision was getting darker; she was running out of time. Then she saw it, Yasuo's sword was on the ground several feet away from him, and within Akali's reach. He must have lost grip of his sword when he swung at her one final time. He still laid unmoving where he had fallen.

Akali grabbed his sword with a shaking hand, groaned as she pushed herself to her feet, and stalked towards Yasuo. It seemed fitting to kill him with his own sword.

_A little farther, she thought._ It was difficult to keep her eyelids open. Her knees shook with each step and threatened to buckle. Holding her kama and Yasuo's sword felt heavy enough to pull her shoulders out of their sockets.

Within a foot or two of her target, Akali collapsed, the darkness completely enveloped her.

* * *

A/N: So, I wasn't completely sure how to go about with Yasuo's wind technique. I've read his lore a thousand times, the material didn't provide many details. Tried searching forums, stories, anything for other people's theories were of how this wind works exactly. It's a lame excuse, but researching into how the technique worked was why this chapter was delayed for so long. Eventually I gave up and just went with the idea of the wind technique being like an actual blade, though how the wounds caused by the wind technique are supposed to look I'm not sure, since they do appear in such a way that people thought Yasuo was the one that killed the Elder.


	4. Chapter 4

Elicitation

By Eadon

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Riot; I just play with their characters.

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When Akali came to, and after her eyes adjusted, she looked about her surroundings in confusion. A thin, gray blanket was draped over her, a small fire popped and crackled in a pit nearby, and while there was a roof above her the cracked walls bore large, gaping holes. The hard floor below her was made of wood, rice mats laid scattered and shredded around the room.

Where was she? Akali lifted herself into a sitting position, or at least she meant to before a paralyzing pain erupted in her body and the floor began to spin. With a groan she laid back down, her eyes shut tight as she willed the nausea to go away. Moments passed before the floor stopped spinning, but her body was still aflame with so much pain she couldn't pinpoint what exactly was hurting.

She laid there staring at the chipped ceiling trying to recall how she came to be in this condition. Memories came to her in bits and pieces. She remembered pursuing Yasuo. She fought him. He fell and she recovered his sword. It was a blank from there.

If she was still alive then could he be as well? She didn't bring herself into this room, obviously, someone else did. Did that mean her mystery savior also helped Yasuo? She had to check if he was alive.

Her voice was weak as she cried out from the agony that exploded from her wounds. She nearly retched after she managed to roll herself onto her stomach. Through willpower she never knew she possessed, Akali was able to crawl to a battered door with torn rice paper.

The door slid open before her. She only managed to see a pair of feet, large and wide, most likely belonging to a male. Then the pain became too much and the darkness embraced her again.

It was evening when Akali awoke again. Moonlight squeezed into the small room through one of the holes in the wall, and the smell of herbs drifted into her stuffed nose. She was lying on her back, the blanket draped over her again. She flexed her shoulders and promptly regretted her action. A wave of hot pain stabbed at her muscles and joints, a groan squeezed from her throat.

She heard movement beside her before she could see it. Upon instinct she bolted upwards and, by habit, reached for the knife she always kept within her clothes, only this time her arm failed to move and she was completely unarmed. Well, she tried to sit up, but something held her down.

Instinct continued to take control of her limbs; Akali tried to free herself but only succeeded in further hurting herself. Her attempt at movement halted the moment her eyes focused on her caretaker. She frowned as she stared at the very man she tried to kill, Yasuo.

The swordsman looked haggard. His face was pale, which made the dark circles beneath his eyes all the more noticeable. Akali's gaze swept over him for any hidden weapons. His gauntlets and shoulder guard were gone and his sword was absent from his waist. Despite much of last night's events being hazy, assuming she slept for no longer than a day, Akali thought Yasuo was fully clothed. Now his upper clothing was in tatters. She lowered her eyes and then noticed his arms and torso were wrapped in makeshift bandages.

_This doesn't make any sense_, Akali thought.

She tried to kill him. He tried to kill her. Why was he treating her wounds? Wait, was he treating her? Maybe he was one of those people that enjoyed watching their enemies suffer a slow death. If that was the case, why did he bother with covering her with a blanket?

"You shouldn't move." Yasuo spoke. His voice was hoarse as if he'd been running an entire evening in freezing temperatures. "You'll open your wounds again."

Akali frowned as she studied his eyes. She couldn't see any cruelty in his brown orbs. What was he playing at? Did he think that by sparing her she would spare him in return? He would only be hastening his death. Once Akali was able she would have to finish Yasuo. For now, she would play the weak, injured party. Not that she had a choice in the matter as she could barely lift her shoulders without feeling nauseated.

Her mouth and throat were so dry she coughed when she tried to swallow. Yasuo immediately figured what she needed; he was slow to turn while he poured water into a cup. Akali watched him as best as she could, though she knew it was stupid to be worried he would slip something into her drink. She would be dead if he just left her outside.

She studied the way his body moved, his movement was stiff and slow. His hands shook slightly as he poured the water. He was pushing himself to his limits just to cater to her. The ache in her head increased when she tried to think of what Yasuo would gain by helping her. She would think about it later. Her attention drifted to the many bandages around his arms and torso. Most of them were blood stained.

Yasuo's hands were surprisingly gentle as he helped her lift her head and pressed the wooden cup to her lips. Akali hated to be fed the water like an invalid, but at the moment she truly was one, she couldn't lift her own arms. She didn't even want to know if she would be able to hold the cup if Yasuo was barely able to and he was capable of sitting up.

She drained the cup in a few gulps. "More?" Yasuo asked. Not sure if her voice would be louder than a whisper, she settled with a slight nod.

With her thirst satisfied, exhaustion hit her. Akali mentally cursed, she had just woken and now her eyelids grew heavier. Maybe if she just rested her eyes for a moment. Yasuo said something, but strangely his voice sounded muffled.

Akali woke with a jerk and a hoarse scream escaped her. Something crawled in her torso, every nerve of her body burned. Tears blurred her vision, but she still was able to make out a shadow peering over her. She reached for the stranger, her fist clenched tight and aimed right for their face, but something grabbed her and held her down. The pain continued until she thought she would vomit or pass out, perhaps both.

After what felt like hours, but it was only a few seconds, the wriggling in her gut ceased. The pain lessened, but was still very much present. Akali struggled to calm her ragged breathing; every extension of her lungs just hurt her wounds further.

When her tears rolled down the side of her face and her vision cleared, she realized it was Yasuo that was leaning over her. Memories of the fight came back to her. For a moment she thought she dreamt the entire thing of him providing medical treatment.

All Akali could hear was the rapid thumps of her own heart. Once her heart rate slowed she was able to hear everything else in what looked to be the same little hut she awoke in. A fire crackled. A constant drumming along the roof, a sound that confused Akali for a moment before she realized it was raining. Drops of water leaked into the hut through the numerous cracks and holes. It was then that Akali noticed the thin blanket over her was damp, and was bunched at her waist.

Water falling into water roused Akali from closing her eyes again. Yasuo was still beside her, he rung water from a rag before he placed it on her abdomen. The pain shot up her spine, but it wasn't as agonizing as earlier.

"You had a lot of dirt in your wound." He explained to her as he continued to dab at her injury. Akali sucked in a breath. "I had to clean it out."

"Why?" She hissed.

Yasuo paused, his brown eyes glanced at her a moment before he looked back down to her wound and continued to clean the blood. "I would think you _ninja's_ would know a thing or two about preventing wounds from getting infected."

Akali ignored his tone about her profession; she would ponder on it later. She shook her head slightly. "No," her voice was still hoarse. "Why help me?"

The swordsman remained silent for so long Akali figured he would leave her question unanswered. He set aside the bloody rag and then rinsed his hands in another bowl of water before he took a handful of green leaves and crushed them between two flat rocks. Akali recognized the smell of the leaves, yarrow.

Yasuo didn't look to be an expert on medicines, but yarrow is a common enough plant on Ionia and great for cleaning wounds. Maybe she didn't have to worry about dying in her sickbed. But she still couldn't understand why he bothered with her at all.

After he thoroughly crushed the yarrow leaves, Yasuo added the mush to a bowl and poured a dash of water into it. Once the substance became a thick paste he rubbed it onto Akali's side. She bit her lip to keep a yelp from getting out and gripped the damp blanket tightly. For having heavy, calloused hands he continued to be gentle as he wrapped her midsection with fresh bandages.

Once he was done, he gathered all the bowls and rags. Before he left the house he looked back at her. "I'm not helping you." He paused, probably to mull over his words. "I mean, I won't kill a defenseless person." With that he left.

If it didn't hurt to laugh, Akali would have indulged in a chuckle. She wouldn't laugh because of Yasuo's words. No, it was her utter confusion that was laughable. It wasn't her place to wonder if she was doing the right thing to kill Yasuo, but still she wondered. If he was a murderer then why didn't he leave her to succumb to her wounds? Without his intervention she would have bled to death. He must think that by saving her life she would spare his and perhaps try to clear his name.

A weak moan elicited from Akali's throat. Thinking about Yasuo's intentions just gave her a headache. She wondered how Shen was able to do this all day. No wonder why he was so serious and rarely ever laughed or smiled, he must have a permanent headache.

With Yasuo now out of the room, Akali had the opportunity to find her weapons. Or any weapon. As great as it was to be treated in bed, the longer she waited to kill the swordsman the harder it would be. He was already recovering faster than she, he was able to move and stand on his own while she grew dizzy and lightheaded just by sitting up.

She braced herself as she tested the mobility of her shoulders. Moving them still hurt, but not as badly as before. She recalled Yasuo's wind blades bit into her shoulders. The wounds must be severe to prevent her from moving her arms.

The worst of her pain came from her side. She looked down and then realized she wore nothing but her breast band and lower small clothes. The bandage around her stomach was already stained with blood. That would explain why she felt lightheaded. It was a struggle to crawl to a wall and use it to help her stand. She had a final wound on her thigh; it flared whenever she put any weight on it.

She was slow to move about the small house for she was frequently hit with dizzy spells and the lightheadedness refused to fade. Still, she used the wall for support to move about and search for a weapon. A large metal pot filled with water sat next to the fire, steam floated above the rim. There were a few small bowls and cups.

There were still no weapons.

Akali cursed. Okay, so Yasuo was intelligent enough to keep any weapons hidden and out of the house. Before he returned, Akali limped back to her spot and faced a new challenge, attempt to lie back down. She never had the chance to bend over before Yasuo walked back inside.

"What are you doing?" He promptly asked.

The shorter woman faltered, but strong hands steadied her. She couldn't help but stiffen upon the physical contact, she half expected for him to pull out a knife. No attack came; he simply kept her from collapsing.

"I need a private moment," she admitted. It wasn't a complete lie, but it was the best excuse to wander outside alone. Provided he respected her privacy.

"Oh." He replied. "Of course. Did you…uh…do you—."

"–I'm fine on my own," Akali interrupted. Truth was she doubted she could walk two steps on her own, but she refused to show any type of dependency on Yasuo. It was a stupid prideful feeling, she knew that. It would be a decent enough tactic to appear dependent on him and strike when he, hopefully, least expected.

But first, she had to find a weapon.

She feared Yasuo would fully recover before she could and would either run off when he felt she would be well enough on her own, or overpower her should she try to kill him. No, she needed a weapon to even the odds.

The swordsman broke his hold from her and settled himself against the wall opposite of the exit. Akali felt her face heat up in annoyance when she noticed his lips pulled into a small smirk. He knew she wouldn't be able to walk without assistance.

Now determined to prove him wrong, Akali concentrated on simply placing one foot in front of her and repeating the action with the other. She hissed when her injured thigh flared after she put her body weight on it and she nearly collapsed. Luckily she was close enough to the wall to remain standing. Moving her arms pulled at the wounds on her shoulders painfully.

"You okay with going out like that? It's raining, and a bit cold." Yasuo said right as Akali slide the door open.

The ninja looked down on herself, she only wore her underclothes. Her body shivered as a breeze tickled her pale skin. Truth was Akali didn't feel embarrassed by her lack of clothing in front of the man. It was obvious he saw her in her current state while she was unconscious. There was no one else present. And she avoided getting whatever was left of her attire from getting soaked since she had no way of recovering her extra clothes.

"I won't be long," she told him. This time she did lie. If it took her so many minutes just to leave the small house, no doubt it would take longer to search for her missing weapons.

By some miracle Akali stepped out of the house and remained standing. Despite it being during the day, the thick and gray clouds darkened the skies. Akali shivered again and sorely wished she could rub her arms. She slowly made her way to the closest house. Sadly, the house was vacant of anything but dirt and chunks of the caved in roof. Well, the place provided the privacy she needed anyway. By the time she stepped out she was exhausted.

_Best try again later_, she thought as she headed back to the house Yasuo occupied. A wince formed on her face as a sharp pain stabbed into her foot. When she checked what she stepped on her heart nearly leapt out of her chest, one of her throwing knifes poked out of the ground. The only problem was where would she hide it? If she placed it in her small clothes Yasuo would surely notice it.

As exhausted as she was, Akali retreated to the roofless house and hid the knife there. She could always retrieve the blade once she was able to move her shoulders without blacking out.

With the last of her strength, the ninja retreated to the occupied hut, her teeth chattering and her small clothes and hair thoroughly soaked. Her entrance startled Yasuo. Akali noticed how his hand immediately went to his waist, but his sword was absent. He visibly relaxed once he realized it was only her.

The room began to spin which made it impossible to tell where her spot was. She settled for pressing her back against the wall and slid down. Despite the cold settling into her bones, Akali was far too tired to care for the blanket or huddling close to the fire. She was asleep the moment she shut her eyelids.

* * *

Yasuo watched the woman warily. He underestimated her before, when they fought, and he paid dearly for that mistake. Despite her being in worse shape than he, he still expected her to bust in and kill him. Instead, she limped in, heavily leaning on the wall and winced with every step on her bad leg. He envied how easy sleep came to her.

The swordsman rarely managed to sleep longer than a few minutes at a time. Dreams of the woman beside him running a blade along his throat woke him often. Sometimes he dreamed about the Elder. Or his brother in his arms, his body rapidly cooling.

Yasuo stood with a grunt. He didn't want to think about those bad memories. If he couldn't sleep then he would keep himself busy. The woman didn't stir when he approached her and not even when he gathered her in his arms. Her weight pulled at his wounds painfully.

The ninja's skin was pale enough to practically be translucent and her lips were a light shade of blue. Yasuo placed her as close to the fire as safely as possible. After all the work he put into keeping her alive he wanted to avoid her rolling onto the flames. The blanket she used earlier would have to do to dry her off.

As Yasuo dried her as best as he could, his thoughts turned to what felt like the fiftieth argument regarding his decision to remain with the woman instead of running off and leave her to fend for herself.

A heavy sigh pushed through his lips. Yasuo made up his mind that night when he awoke in shock from his wounds and found the woman was still alive. He was tired of the death that clung to him everywhere he went. Both he and the woman survived their battle. He wouldn't let her die by his hands if he could help it, she had as much of an equal chance as he to survive.

The swordsman chuckled. It would be the first time he didn't emerge from a fight as the sole victor. His eyes lingered on the woman's face. She was attractive, young. Why she chose a deadly profession as a ninja Yasuo couldn't comprehend. But she fought well. Very well.

His eyes traveled down to her shoulders and to the carnage of what remained of her skin. The way the wind cut into people was like a thousand small cuts in all directions, and the wind cut deep. If the woman wasn't wearing shoulder guards the wounds would have been far worse, very much like the wounds on her torso and thigh. If only he had more, better supplies to treat them.

The woman's bravado to walk on her own caused her wounds to reopen. It was going to be a long, sleepless night for Yasuo again. He reached for the bowls, herbs, and makeshift bandages and got to work.

Part of him knew he was making a huge mistake of sparing her. But he couldn't bring himself to leave. He just hoped the woman would give him the same courtesy and not kill him. Wishful thinking, he knew. Yasuo vowed he would never kill anyone that wasn't self-defense.

Ninja's don't hold the same code of honor as he did.

* * *

A/N: For those that pay attention to the smallest details. In order for Akali to have a breast band, let's just pretend in this fic's universe her fighting clothes are actually practical.


End file.
